families mornings and evenings?" "No." "Did you attend fast meetings on fast days and bring something for the poor?" "No." "Have any of you drunk a little whiskey during the past year and wasted your money in drink?" "Yes." "Have you smoked tobacco and wasted your money in procuring this poisonous weed?" "Yes." "What have you not done then?" They acknowledged that they had done many things they ought not to have done. "Then," said the Bishop, "can you expect the Lord to do all for you when you do nothing for yourselves?" So they went away satisfied, vowing within themselves, no doubt, as they frequently do, to do better. They promised the Bishop that they would try to reform and do better, that they would try to keep the commandments of the Lord and sustain and uphold him as their Bishop, and to hearken to the words of counsel given to them.

My brethren and sisters, I rejoice today that there is a man of God standing at the head of this people. I bear witness to you that President Snow is a chosen servant of the Lord, for the will of the Lord is again made known through him, and the Lord has called upon us, through him, to repent of our sins, our backsliding and neglect, and to pay an honest tithing from this time henceforth and forever, that we may be indeed the people of God, and that this land may be a land of Zion unto us and unto our children, to the last generation of time. For, let me assure you, my brethren and sisters, that if an honest tithing was paid from all the forty thousand families of the Latterday Saints, as they exist today in their prosperous condition, in all this western land, a very large amount would come into the treasury of the Lord's storehouse each year, and we would soon be the wealthiest people on the face of the earth. I say this would have been the condition had the Saints all been paying an honest tithing. But the past shall be the past, the Lord has declared, and our sins in this matter, of the past, will be forgiven, provided we will begin from this time to be faithful servants and handmaidens of the Lord. That we may redeem ourselves from the fall and from our own sins. For I declare unto

you today that the Lord has living Prophets and Apostles, and His words are given to us all the day long. Let us profit by them.

I pray that the Lord will bless you, my brethren and sisters, and enable you to live according to the glorious principles of the Gospel as revealed to us of the Lord through His Prophets, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sister Emma Ramsay sang the song, "Come all Ye Sons of Zion," chorus by the choir.

The congregation then unanimously sustained, by vote, all the general authorities of the Church, and of various organizations thereof as their names were presented by Elder Matthias F. Cowley.

ELDER ABRAHAM O. WOODRUFF.

Brethren and sisters, in arising to address you for a few minutes, I trust that I may be guided by the Spirit of the Lord, that I may be led to say something that will benefit the Latterday Saints who are here present and build us up in our faith.

I will read the 21st verse of the 14th chapter of the Gospel according to St. John:

"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."

This promise holds good in our day and time, although it was uttered many centuries ago. Still, we profess to have the same authority as the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the same Gospel as preached by them, even the power of God unto salvation. This being the case, there is no Latter-day Saint, no matter what degree of Priesthood he may hold, no matter what his standing may be, if he be in the Church of Christ and is faithful and keeps the commandments of the Lord, but what has this promise vouchsafed unto him: That the Father will manifest Himself to him; and this can be done in a very great variety of ways.

I believe that there is no Latter-day Saint, that has any interest in the Church of Christ, but what has been

led to marvel at the peculiar workings of destiny in connection with the Latter-day Saints, as a people. There is no one that has been an observer of the history of this people that can help but acknowledge that there is something supernatural or superhuman connected with the development of the lat ter-day work. In every instance where the people have observed certain commandments given to them, they have always received the promises connected therewith, and where they have not kept those commandments, God has poured out His judgments upon them for their disobedience. Every Latterday Saint should be interested in the work of the Lord and seek to obtain for himself or herself a testimony concerning this work, for the evidences of its divinity are so abundant that if we strive to any degree at all to know of the truthfulness of this great latter-day work, we may know whether or not it is of God or of man. Sometimes we may ask ourselves the question, Lorenzo Snow a Prophet of the Living God? Is he the mouthpiece of God upon the earth? Do we believe it? Do we believe that he is authorized to say "Thus sayeth the Lord?" I believe and know that he is and that he possesses all the authority necessary to constitute him the mouthpiece of the Lord upon the earth. If we believe this we will be very anxious to follow his teachings, and we will be very anxious to be connected with the Church of Jesus Christ, that we may know and that God the Eternal Father may know which master we list to obey, for we have been told that his servants are we whom we list to obey. If we list to obey God the Eternal Father we will be His servants, and we will be desirous for the establishment of the work of the Lord upon the earth and to see it grow and increase, and we will love righteousness and hate iniquity.

Is

As Latter-day Saints, I feel that we ought to stand closely together in this day and time when it appears as though persecution would again be waged against us. It is a warning to us to stand more closely together. We ought to be a people who believe in supporting one another and the king

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dom of God. We ought not, as we have done in the past in many instances, furnish the gold and silver to forge the instruments that are aimed at our lives, the lives of this people, as a munity. Very often we have, through our patronage and support, built up men and institutions that have afterwards used every means in sending out falsehoods regarding this people, and that have done everything they could to bring persecution upon the Saints. I feel this is wrong, that we ought not to do it. I think that the Latter-day Saints, as a rule, do not fully comprehend what they are doing in this regard. It is true that we desire to do business with all honorable men. But I want to say to the Latter-day Saints that if this people would withdraw their support from those men, institutions and agencies, and from those papers. that send out falsehoods about this people and the citizens of this state, they would not be able to live. It is the support which the Latter-day Saints give these agencies that maintains them. Therefore, I say that we feed the instruments that are intended to be used against us, and that are used against us. I think we should reflect more upon these things. In many of our settlements the Saints have given their patronage and support to men who have come into their midst and fleeced them, and who have then turned around and used those very means against them. This should be a warning to the Latter-day Saints that they ought to try and support themselves and their own institutions, to build up one another and be more united in the future than they have been in the past.

I feel anxiously engaged in the work of the Lord. I desire above all things upon the face of the earth to enjoy the spirit of the Apostleship of the Lord Jesus Christ, that I might labor for the bringing about of the salvation of the sons and daughters of God upon the face of the earth. This is the work of God, the Eternal Father. It is not the work of man, and we do not need to be very much concerned with regard to the outcome of this people. We need not be agitated on account of the efforts

being made for their overthrow. If we do our duty as individuals the Lord will take care of the rest. We have had no occasion in the past to worry regarding the final outcome of this community. The Lord has always brought to naught the plans that have been laid and devised for the destruction of this people by our enemies, and He will do the same in the future, if we will hold together and not allow ourselves to be led off and to mix up too much with our enemies. Of course, we welcome all good citizens. We love all good citizens in this city and state and upon the face of the earth, who delight in telling the truth, but we have not yet learned to love those that tell falsehoods and that seek to destroy our influence in the nation. I suppose we ought to love them, according to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, but we have not perfected ourselves to that degree yet.

I pray God to bless you and to teach us and fill us with His Holy Spirit continually, that we may so live, by keeping the commandments of God, the Eternal Father, that we may ever know for ourselves, whenever anything is enacted for the Church as a whole, whether it is of the Lord or not, and not set up our own ideas against the plans of the Lord. It is the right of every Latter-day Saint, who is living in accordance to the commandments of the Lord, to know of the truthfulness, correctness and righteousness of every enactment that is made by the Church of Christ, for we believe in revelation. We believe that God will manifest these things unto us, not simply to those who stand at the head of the Church, but to all the members of the Church of Christ. It is our privilege to know and understand whether anything that is done by the Church is right or not, if we are living in accordance with the commandments of the Lord.

I pray the Lord to bless you, and may He fill our hearts with His peace. May we realize more in the future than we have ever done in the past the necessity of laboring continually for the establishment of righteousness and the building up of God's kingdom and work upon the face of the earth. May we so live that we may share in the blessings which God the Eternal Father has

promised to those that love Him and keep His commandments. I ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen.

ELDER MATTHIAS F. COWLEY.

My brethren and sisters, I hope you will not get weary, and that you will sustain me by your faith and prayers while I occupy a few minutes of the time. I would also like for you to sustain me by your faith and prayers every day in the future, and in return I will endeavor to sustain you by my faith and prayers and by such exertion as the gifts and blessings of the Almighty to me shall enable me to be of benefit and profit to the Latter-day Saints.

It is of very little use to bear testimony that we know that the Gospel is true unless we exemplifiy that testimony in our daily walk and conversation. The best evidence which we can give to the Lord that we are convinced that President Snow is a Prophet of God is that we shall heed the counsel which has been given through him to this people, and pay our tithing, thus testifying by our works that we do sustain President Lorenzo Snow as the mouthpiece of God to the Latter-day Saints.

There is a statement in the Doctrine and Covenants having a bearing upon those who are sent out to preach the Gospel, and it applies to those who preach the Gospel at home, not only as missionaries bearing offices as general authorities of the Church, but it applies to every Bishop and Elder in Israel, and to the Seventies and Presidents of Seventies, to the lesser Priesthood and all who administer in the various offices assigned unto them. It is this: "Treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man." It is not for the purpose of dwelling upon this quotation that I read it, but to call your attention to another matter: It is the duty of the servants and handmaidens of the Lord, who constitute the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to treasure up the words of eternal life, and then, under the inspiration of the Almighty administer that portion of the

word of God that is especially adapted to the wants of the people on the occasion, it is also the duty of every Latter-day Saint to know what is the matter with himself or herself and to know exactly wherein they have come short In keeping and observing the commandments of God. I will venture to say that the instructions of this conference are applicable, to a greater or less degree, to every individual, male or female, who has been in attendance at this conference. It is the duty of the Latter-day Saints to take to themselves that portion of the word of God which is applicable unto them, or which they have not fully exemplified by their conduct and lives heretofore, and make a distinct and personal application of the same to themselves in the future. If there is any one here who has exemplified these instructions fully, who has not been derelict in his or her duty, having fulfilled it to the fullest extent, taking into consideration every injunction of the Gospel and every requirement of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please hold up your right hand. I would like to see you. And I presume we are all a little derelict and that there is a necessity for a reformation upon our part.

It is certainly unnecessary for us to rehearse this afternoon the promises extended to those that are faithful, unto those who are diligent in keeping the commandments of God, and the great disadvantages and the disapproval of Heaven if we keep not the commandments of the Lord. We must remember that we have taken upon us the most solemn obligations that were ever assumed by men and women upon the face of the earth. This is the great and last dispensation, a dispensation in which is comprehended all the keys, blessings and powers and every measure of divine authority which has been enjoyed by any and all previous dispensations of the Gospel, from father Adam down to the present period of time. Upon our shoulders rest the responsibilities of all these dispensations combined together, as it were. It is the dispensation of the fullness of times. We have made sacred covenants, in sacred places, and those covenants mean something. When the Lord revealed them through His servant, the

Prophet Joseph, as applying to this dispensation, it was designed that they should be attended, when strictly observed, by the blessings and power of Almighty God, and it was designed that if those sacred covenants should be violated and trampled in the dust of the earth, God would not be mocked, and that His judgments would come upon His people unless they exemplified the principles of the Gospel in their daily walk and conversation. Now, these things, my brethren and sisters, have been brought to the attention of the Latter-day Saints, in the instructions of this general conference. Let us reflect upon them. Let every man and woman ask himself or herself the question, Where have I been derelict? In what duty have I been neglectful? Can I improve? And then let us consider the instructions given at this conference, and especially that portion that would be applicable to us individually. Let us go forth from this time and pay our tithes and offerings, and consecrate as much of our property to the cause of God, to the liquidating of the debts and obligations of this Church, as is possible for us. I say to you that it is the easiest way to secure the blessings and protection of Almighty God. The Prophet of the Lord has said to us more than once, since he received the manifestation in the city of St. George, that the Latterday Saints must pay their tithing or they shall not be entitled to the blessings of the house of the Lord, and shall be subject to the persecution and tyranny of their enemies. He has also said to us more than once that if we would pay our tithing as we should the Lord would bless us abundantly, spiritually and temporally. I would not have you pay your tithing for a selfish motive. I would not desire to pay my own tithing with the idea in view that the Lord would enrich me in a temporal capacity. The riches of this earth are not the choicest the Lord has to bestow. He may bestow them upon us, and they are necessary for the promotion of the work of God, in a material sense, but the choicest blessing that comes to the Latter-day Saints is the rich and choice inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to enlighten our minds upon the things of God and to give us an

influence among the children of men that will enable us to verify the injunction of the Savior when He said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." These are the choicest blessings, my brethren and sisters.

Let me encourage you to make a more earnest effort to enlist your young people in the work of Mutual Improvement and Sabbath School work, and to get them to take advantage of the opportunities that are afforded them in the Gospel, that our sons and daughters may be efficient in proclaiming the Gospel, both at home and abroad. There is a great necessity for this.

I must not occupy your time much longer. It is nearly up. May the Lord bless you, my brethren and sisters, and may we go forth from this conference, to the various Stakes of Zion where ve reside, and to our various labors, and to the nations of the earth, with the spirit of this conference, disseminating it among the people of God and among the peoples of this earth.

I bear to you my testimony that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of the living God. I bear testimony to you that the Father, the Almighty, and His Son, Jesus Christ, presented themselves to that boy Prophet in this dispensation. I bear to you my testimony that he received the keys of the gathering of the house of Israel, from the hands of the Prophet Moses, that he received the keys for the building of temples and the redemption of the dead, from the Prophet Elijah, who appeared personally to him and restored those keys. I bear testimony to you that the great Prince Michael, the Archangel, has delivered to him the keys connecting, by genealogy, the generations of men, and binding them together in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, from the beginning down to the latest period of time, in this dispensation.

life, go to God in prayer and ask Him what you should do, and let Him guide you by His Spirit, and He will do it. We are the people of God, and He has promised to hear and answer our prayers. I want to admonish you to respect the principles of the everlasting Gospel, no matter what they are, no matter if they be the principles that are assaulted by our enemies. They are the principles of eternal truth, and God has revealed and established them upon

the earth, and He will maintain them, and Zion will be established, and the kingdom of God will grow in power, and the Latter-day Saints will be prepared for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and His reign upon the earth.

These are my testimonies. May God bless you, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

There is one subject to which I wish to briefly refer. I wish to call your attention to your temple work. This is a very important consideration, or should be, in our lives and in our home affairs. Let us contemplate it. Thousands, and I might say millions, of dollars have been expended by this people, through the commandments of the Lord, in building temples. We have four in this State. They are convenient to a great majority of the people of the Church, not only in this State, but in the surrounding States. Now, we must all remember, that á hundred years hence, in all probability, every one of us will be on the other side of the veil, and we have kindred there, fathers and grand-fathers and grandmothers, mothers, and great grand-fathers and great grand-mothers. A great many of our kindred have left this existence, any many of them without a knowledge of the Gospel, perhaps the majority of

We are here as their children, and they have an interest in us and we have an interest in them, because the keys have been revealed whereby the hearts of the children are turned to the fathers, and the hearts of the fathers to the children. Those keys and powers have been revealed in our day and time, and we now have opportunities, while in life, to prosecute